About GJEL Accident Attorneys

Our Personal Connection with Clients

As partner Andy Gillin is fond of saying, “We love fighting for the little guy.” We all began our careers in public service, and while the cases have gotten larger and more complex along the way, that hasn’t changed our firm’s focus.

The one-on-one relationship between attorney and client is truly important to GJEL. Unlike many other law firms, our discipline is to maintain a constant emphasis on quality over quantity. Catastrophic injury cases require extraordinary attention to detail. The only way to allow for that focus is to be extremely selective.

Our selectiveness allows us the time to work every aspect of the case and to develop a personal connection with you. That connection gives us extra fight and determination to overcome the deep resources that corporate defendants and insurance companies possess.

We return all phone calls immediately and solve every problem we can, whether it is directly related to the case or not. We maintain friendships with our clients long after we’ve won their cases.

Paid only upon the successful resolution of our clients’ cases-no up-front fees.

Our Experienced, Compassionate Staff

We help clients get back on their feet and get their lives back. People go through a lot when they sustain an injury, both emotionally and physically, and the number of medical specialists our clients see is often overwhelming. Our clients also need help figuring out their property damage issues with their cars or motorcycles, they need help getting investigative reports and medical records, and oftentimes securing a rental vehicle. In general, our clients need help getting back on their feet and returning their lives to normal.

That’s where GJEL’s staff comes in. We let our clients focus on what is really important-their health. We set up appointments with doctors and medical specialists who will provide you with the absolute best care. We coordinate accident investigations. We communicate with your health insurance company. We follow up with the insurance company of the person who hit you, as well as your own car insurance company. In a nutshell, we handle all the details of your case, so that you can focus on your health and your family.

Every member of our staff is a humble, approachable, friendly, and compassionate person. From your first phone call or email to our office, I know you’ll have the same impression.

We welcome any and all questions about individual cases. Initial consultations are free, and if we can’t help you, we’ll do our best to direct you to additional legal resources. My staff, my partners, and I look forward to speaking with you.

Call 1-855-508-9565 for a free consultation with any one of our attorneys.

For a free consultation with a GJEL Accident Attorney, call 1-855-508-9565, or e-mail us at lawfirm@gjel.com. We have law offices throughout California to meet with clients. Please visit the Contact Us page to find our local office nearest you.

GJEL was founded by partners Andy Gillin and Ralph Jacobson in 1970’s. The two met in East Palo Alto working at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, a non-profit that provides free legal services to low-income people and their families. After becoming friends and working together for three years, they decided to form their own firm, and GJEL was born.

Andy and Ralph have always been committed to “fighting for the little guy,” and that hasn’t changed one bit over the years. The firm grew, and partners Luke Ellis, Jim Larsen, and Kristin Lucey joined the team. The cases have gotten bigger and more complex, but the firm still stands up for the rights of injured people against large insurance companies. All the attorneys are careful not to take on more cases than they can handle because building connections with clients and giving each case the full attention it deserves enables us to represent our clients in a more effective manner. Though GJEL could theoretically handle more cases, only so many cases can be handled the right way, and handling cases the right way is something we’re committed to, personally and professionally.

One of the advantages of practicing personal injury law is that it allows GJEL to take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we do not charge our clients until we win or settle their case. This structure is critical to the health of our legal process, because it allows individuals, no matter their income level, to take on major commercial enterprises and nation-wide insurance companies, even if they cannot afford the up-front cost of hiring a lawyer.

We’re committed to our clients and the Northern California communities in which they live and work. I encourage you to read some of the things our clients have had to say about us over the years-they offer the most insight into what it’s like working with GJEL. We hope you’ll never need an accident attorney, but we want you to know we’re here to help if you do. In the meantime, visit our blog often to find out what’s going on at GJEL and in the communities we serve.

Meet Our Attorneys

Luke Ellis was named Lawyer of the Year for 2014-Personal Injury, by Best Lawyers of America and was selected as one of the ‘Lions of Litigation’ by Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall), University of California.